Executives

Sages President Newsletter September 2016

President se Nuusbrief / President's Newsletter

September 2016

Dear Fellow SAGES

It is important to keep all our members in touch with developments and initiatives within SAGES. Therefor this newsletter should be available to everyone - on the website and via e-mail from our national secretary to each branch. Please pass this newsletter on to the members who may have to rely on printed media for information.

Tournaments

The Northern Mini, played at Reading and organised by South Rand SAGES, was fully subscribed with 136 players. Vaal SAGES, as you will see on the website took the honours. Thank you South Rand for your labours and hospitality!

The SAGES of Southern Cape will be hosting the Cape Mini at Pinnacle Point, a challenging course, especially when a cold wind howls across the fairways from the sea. We hope to announce at that prize-giving the exact number of golf balls that did not manage to cross the sea from the tee box to the green on the par 3.

The official entry forms for the Namibian SAGES national tournament to be played at Rossmund near Swakopmund from 7-11 November must still reach us. Please consider making up a fourball. You WILL enjoy the tournament and discover Jägermeister.

Zululand SAGES are hard at work preparing for the National Tournament to be played at Richards Bay and Empangeni from 8-12 May next year. The date will NOT change even if there is a meter of snow on the courses. The NMC will co-operate where we can to ensure that the 2 major sources of discontent at previous nationals, namely slow play and manipulated handicaps, are addressed. Too many good SAGES throw in the towel after a 6-hour round or after being pipped at the post by a player with a “managed” handicap who cannot recite the Rotary Four Way Test without blushing:

Of the things we think, say or do

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

The SAGES who cannot answer YES to those questions about their scores, should mend their ways, and they should not be in teams for national (and mini) tournaments.As far as slow play is concerned, consider the impact one very slow player (by nature and through physical limitations) had on a national tournament: four following four-balls had to putt out simultaneously in the dark on the 18th hole. SAGES care for fellow SAGES and show great tolerance for their frailties, but branches should ensure that all their team members CAN play a round in under 5 hours. Zululand should marshal slow play firmly next year and fourballs who do not speed up, should be asked to pick up and move on to the next hole Slow play should not be allowed to spoil the day for the rest.

The Road Ahead

The NMC team is really firing on all cylinders and is addressing the big and the small matters timeously. We had a work session in Pietermaritzburg recently to focus on where we are and where we wish to be as an organization. Alec Dixon, our vice-president, is busy putting together a working document that will shortly be shared with our members. Challenges and opportunities will surely be identified, and addressed with the co-operation of all SAGES.I am asking branches to commit themselves as necessary to keep SAGES healthy and allow it to prosper. SAGES wishes to be the leading organization that caters for social golf for seniors in South Africa. We will all benefit from greater recognition from other organizations.As a start to the process, I am asking each branch to commit to our growth objective that the NMC has felt is realistic:

3200 SAGES members by 31/12/2020

Some branches have waiting lists for new members, while others are struggling. Obviously conditions differ, and the economy is forcing members to adjust, but we need to focus on the reasons for resignations, as well as what pleases them. Most new members join because a friend invited them. If each SAGE can identify a golfer who will benefit from SAGES, and who can be of benefit to SAGES, we will reach that target very soon. Maybe those successful branches want to tell us the reasons for their success? Highveld has agreed to start the ball rolling.The NMC will help to drive the processes to adapt and thrive. In the end every member should stand a bit taller and be even more proud of who we are and what we do for our fellow senior golfers.

Yours in SAGES.Peet RoetsSAGES National PresidentThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Stuur jul insette asb direk aan This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We willgladly publish your newsletters (see the Newsletters link at the top of the page) .

For further SAGES information or queries please contact the National SecretaryElfie Alston, Cell phone 082 775 0827, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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